


Eight Years Later

by ginnekomiko



Series: Maiden of the Moon Universe [5]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-27 04:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 19,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnekomiko/pseuds/ginnekomiko
Summary: This story takes place eight (demon) years after the Maiden of the Moon timeline, (though it's not required to have read the whole thing.) Kai is currently (the equivalent of) eighteen and Shinta's almost thirteen.Originally posted from 2011-2013.





	1. Transition

Hey Aniki, can I talk to you about something?”

Kai looked forward. He was dragging his kill behind him. “Sure, Shinta, what’s going on?”

“Aniki, how do you talk to girls?” Shinta asked shyly.

“The same way you talk to guys,” he remarked.

“That’s not the answer I wanted!” Shinta exclaimed as he walked beside him. “You’re popular with girls, right?”

“It’s not like I ever wanted to be popular among them, Shinta,” he said with a sigh.

“But you still are.”

Kai grinned a little. It was hard to be a preteen. He’d gone through it years ago, and now it was Shinta’s turn.

The first thing to go had been the term “An-chan.”

As one got older, the men were expected to use courser language. Poor Shinta hardly looked menacing with that gangly body and baby face. Being cute never bothered him before, but now, he was expected to be tough. He was due to get his armor soon.

“Aniki you really lucked out in getting your armor early. You got all the respect and never had to take a stupid test.”

“I didn’t plan on that, either. I just wanted my friend back.”

“Still, getting it that early made you look really cool. I think _more_ girls liked you after that.”

 “Shinta, it’s not how many girls you attract, it’s the kind of girl you attract.”

“But if you have more girls interested in you that means you can pick from them when you become of marriageable age, right?”

“I don’t know.”

Normally, they declared the age of marriage to be between the ages of fifteen and twenty. The elders encouraged the younger generation to wed and have children to make up for the massive numbers lost during the shikon wars over eight years ago.

Every child born was given a chance at life no matter how small.

 Girls were no longer killed simply for bring born.

Of course, it helped that Kouga and Lady Ayame’s first child had been a girl.

That had been five years ago. Since then, a lot of little girls had been born.

He was eighteen now, but despite his popularity amongst the girls in his age range, he still hadn’t declared himself ready for marriage. 

“I bet you could pick from lots! I’d like at least two!” Shinta said.

“Have you been listening to anything I’ve said?” he asked with a sigh.

“So, who would you pick for your bride?” Shinta asked.

“You should know that answer,” he said.

“You _still_ have that crush? Good luck. She outranked you before, but after everything that’s happened, she’s so far above you now, it isn’t even funny. Besides, do you really want to take Leader on in a fight? He’s got that special weapon and everything.”

“I think I could still take him.”

“You’re crazy, Aniki,” Shinta said.

“When you fall in love, really fall in love with someone, you’ll understand.”


	2. Same Old Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai nearly gets killed, but at least he's able to confess to the girl he likes.

He was drifting in and out of consciousness.  
  
It hurt.  
  
But why?  
  
It was just a routine hunting trip. He’d gone on many before this one.  
  
Oh right, the birds.  
  
They’d been ambushed.  
  
“Kai-kun?” a voice asked.  
  
She was still alive.  
  
Thank goodness.  
  
 “…Are you still with me?”  
  
He did his best to nod his head.  
  
“Don’t ever scare me like that again!”  
  
She was mad.  
  
Or was it scared?  
  
What was it like to see him get sliced up by the bird’s claws? Did she get hurt when he pushed her down?  
  
“…Idiot. Why did you do that? You could have been killed!”  
  
It amazed him that she could be so dense and still call him an idiot. All these years, and she still didn’t realize how much he loved her?  If she understood that, then maybe she would understand why he had pushed her down, why he took the brunt of the blow in her place. If he survived this, he was going to tell her how he felt and make sure she understood that he meant it as love.  
  
Something moist hit his face.  
  
Was it rain or… her tears?  
  
Where were they right now?  
  
If only he could open his eyes.  
*  
When his eyes did open,  it was dark. They were in a cave.  
  
“…Tsuki-chan?”  
  
She turned at his voice. She _had_ been crying.  
  
The first thing she did was hug him. The pressure hurt a little on his wounds, but at the same time, he didn’t mind the tightness of the  
embrace.  
  
“Thank goodness.”  
  
“Tsuki-chan, I want to tell you something.”  
  
 “It can wait! You shouldn’t be talking! You have to save your strength! ” she said.  
  
“Please...”  
  
 She paused. “What is it you need to say?”  
  
He took a deep breath.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
She laughed a little. “You’re joking, right?”  
  
“I’m not. I’ve loved you for a really long time.”  
  
Silence.  
  
“…How long, exactly?”  
  
“Since I met you.”  
  
“But we were just kids then! …You’re really not joking?” she asked.  
  
“Would I risk my life for a prank?”  
  
“… Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
“I tried to, numerous times.”  
  
She looked to the side.  
  
“But I was happy. I always wanted to stay with you, even if you never loved me back. I didn’t want to ruin what we have. I’m sorry, this is probably a little too much to take in, right?”  
  
 “No. Now that I look back on it, it makes a lot of sense; I just never noticed.  You saw me as a girl first, not a boy; I’ve always been grateful for that. Even so, you followed my plans, believed in me, and helped me win my war. When I lost my voice and was at my weakest, you stayed by my side and kept me sane,saved me from being kidnapped. Even now, after all this time, you protected me.”  
  
She was crying again.  
  
“I’m sorry, Kai-kun! I’m so sorry my stupidity’s been hurting you for years!”  
  
“Tsuki-chan, what do you feel towards me now?”  
  
“Um, it’s a shy, squishy feeling. It’s changed since we were little. Back then, it didn’t matter that you were a boy and I was a girl, but now I…”  
  
“You what?”  
  
“I don’t hate the idea of loving you like that. I want to stay with you. If it’s for you then, I can stomach this girly feeling. Only, what are lovers supposed to do?”  
  
“For right now, can I lie against you? This cave floor isn’t exactly good support.”  
  
“Sorry. This was the only place I could think to take you.”  
  
“You carried me all by yourself? That’s impressive. Have we been gone long enough for Kouga to notice?”  
  
“Probably.”  
  
“Let’s stay put. Knowing him, he’s already sent scouts out to find us. He still worries about you, you know.”  
  
“I know. If anyone asks, I’m just letting you rest on me because you’re injured,” she said. “You just rest now. Let me protect you until help comes.”


	3. Kouga's Condition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai goes to talk to Kouga about the possibility of marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age wise, Kai is 18 and Tsuki is 15. Also, Ayame had another litter.

When he felt well enough, he decided to go see Kouga.  
  
This was it. He was finally going to tell him that he wanted to marry Tsuki.  
  
“Hi! Kai!”  
  
Red hair, white fur, blue eyes, and a bouncy disposition, definitely Renge, the firstborn.  
  
“Hi, Ren, is your Papa here?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah, do you need to see him?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah, it’s important. Could you call him for me?”  
  
“Okay! PAPA~, KAI NEEDS TO SEE YOU~!”  
  
“You know this cave _echoes_ , right Ren?” Kouga asked.  
  
Ren grinned. “I know, but it got you to come quickly, right?”  
  
”If you wake the little ones with your screaming, you’re in trouble.”  
  
“Oh, sorry baby brother and sister!” she whispered.  
  
“That’s better. What do you need Kai?”  
  
“To talk to you.”  
  
“Well, talk.”  
  
“Not in front of your kids! I don’t trust this secret to be kept a secret with them around!”  
  
“Secret?” Ren asked. “I like secrets!”  
  
Kouga paused. “Secret, huh? Alright. Ren, you and Ryou are in charge until either Papa or Mama get back. Hagi, you watch the little ones, okay? ”  
  
The second daughter did not say a word. She only nodded.  
  
“Alright, what was so important and secret that you couldn’t say it in front of my kids?” Kouga asked.  
  
Kai bowed low to the ground. “Please allow me to have Tsuki as my bride!”  
  
“What the? You’re serious?”  
  
“Of course I’m serious! Kouga, you know I am!”  
  
He bit his tongue. He’d never called Kouga by his name before.  
  
Kouga sighed. “Get up, you idiot. Have you talked with her at all?”  
  
 Kai looked to the side. “She said she didn’t mind the idea of loving me as a mate.”  
  
“Wait, back up, _my sister,_ Little Ms. Oblivious, said something like _that_ to you?”  
  
 Kai grinned. “She did. Granted, she probably thought I was delusional from my wounds, but she did say it.”  
  
 Kouga scowled. “Better get your ears checked, Kai because you aren’t marrying her until I’m sure she wants you.”  
  
“What? Why are you being so hard on me all of a sudden?”  
  
“Because you’re the guy who’s always wanted to take my sister from me!”  
  
“But other brothers have to deal with what happens when their sisters get married!” he protested.  
  
“Other brothers didn’t raise their siblings. It’s different for Ayame and me. Renge was the first child born to us as a couple, but if you asked us who we thought our first child really was it’d be Tsuki. That’s why I can’t let her go with you until I’m absolutely sure she’ll be happy. I want to hear her say those words to me, not you. Call me soft if you want, but that’s my condition. ”  
  
Stupid Kouga.  
  
He paused.  
  
“What about our agreement from when I was younger? I’m still betrothed to her, right?”  
  
Kouga scowled. “Didn’t I say she had to choose you? How can I be sure of it if she hasn’t told me herself?”    
  
Okay, so Kouga wasn’t so stupid.  
  
“So she just has to tell you how she honestly feels about me, right?”  
  
“Correction, she has to come tell me herself that she wants to marry you. You can’t put the idea in her head, understand?”  
  
Just make it harder why don’t you?  
  
“Alright. I get you, but when she comes to you, you’d better honor your word, Kouga.”  
  
“I swear I will.”  
  
Kai turned his back to him. “If it makes you feel better, when we do marry, I doubt we’ll leave this clan.”  
  
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kai!  She hasn’t said yes yet!”  
  
He grinned. He’d already found a way around Kouga’s little condition.


	4. Price of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai resolves to be the hero if Tsuki's diplomacy fails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age wise, Kai is 18 and Tsuki is 15. Also, Hagi is blind. I was going to say so in the fic, but shoehorning it in messed with the flow. For those curious about the Star Ceremony, the original fic is in Ayame's side.

Ayame wouldn’t help him convince Tsuki to talk to Kouga.  
  
“Kouga has a point; it’s Tsu-chan’s choice. She needs to be comfortable with her own feelings before you rush into things. I know you’ve waited a long time, but just give it a little longer, okay Kai-kun?” Ayame said.  
  
So much for that plan.  
  
“You’re right. Forgive me, Lady Ayame.”  
  
 “Kai-kun, could you and Shinta help Tsu-chan watch our pups? We have to do some dealings with the north Leader today and Ginta and Hakaku are going to go with us to act as mediators. She’ll be overwhelmed watching them all by herself.”  
  
“Sure.”  
*  
He had not expected anything to go wrong. The cave was quiet. The elder three were entertaining themselves while the twins were asleep.  
  
He should have figured something was off when the soft-spoken Hagi actually made the effort to speak up.  
  
“Um, Ren… Ryou…”    
  
“What’s wrong, Hagi?” Ren asked.  
  
“I hear the rustling of wings,” Hagi said. “Can someone look outside for me?”  
  
“Don’t worry, little sis, I’m sure it’s just…uh-oh,” Ryou said.  
  
What was “uh-oh” supposed to mean?  
  
Kai looked outside. Hagi was right. She had heard wings.  
  
Birds of Paradise covered the sky.  
  
“That’s… not good,” Tsuki said.  
  
“Birds of Paradise? What do they want?” Shinta whispered.  
  
“Nee-chama, is there going to be a war?” Ren asked.  
  
“I sure hope not. We really don’t need one right now,” Tsuki said. “Kai-kun, keep the pups safe for me, okay?”  
  
“But shouldn’t I go out there with you?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah, Nee-chama, Kai should go with you! He’s a warlord, too!”  
  
“No, Ren! Listen to me, Kai-kun; you and Shinta are the only ones I trust to keep them safe. If things go sour, do you two promise to get them away from danger?”  
  
 “I promise.”  
  
“Me too,” Shinta said.  
  
Tsuki smiled. “Good. Well, here’s hoping I don’t get torn to shreds!”  
  
He sighed. “See, when you say it like that it only makes me more worried.”  
  
“Later!”  
  
He was kicked in the shins. “Ow!”  
  
“You better save our Nee-chama, Kai!” Ren said. “Papa and Mama won’t like it if she’s in pieces when they get back!”  
  
“And _we’ll_ never ever forgive you if Nee-chama get’s torn up!” Ryou said.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m watching carefully.” He assured them.  
  
The leader of the birds landed.  
  
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Ryou asked.  
  
“Shh! I can’t be heroic if I can’t hear when to jump in and save her!”  
  
“Oh, sorry.”  
  
“What brings you to our territory?” Tsuki asked.  
  
She was surprisingly confident and calm in her tone.  
  
“Are you the female warlord?” the bird asked.  
  
“I am, are you the Lady of the Skies?” Tsuki replied.  
  
“So the tales were true.” The Bird’s eyes shifted to the trinket around Tsuki’s neck.  “That necklace, where did you get it?”  
  
“This? My boyfriend made it for me a long time ago,” Tsuki said with a smile.  
  
He could hear the surprised murmurs of the tense warriors and ladies when she said the word “boyfriend.”  
  
His face flushed and he was trying to not have his mouth hang open from shock.  
  
“Way to go, Aniki,” Shinta whispered.  
  
“What is its significance of it?” the bird asked.  
  
“It’s like a good luck charm. I didn’t understand its significance when it was given to me all those years ago. Honestly, I thought it was a victory token for making the bird that was chasing us leave us alone. I was just a pup then, but I refused to let my dear friends be killed.”  
  
“I see. That feather around your neck, it belonged to my mate.”  
  
Uneasy silence.  
  
“And?” Tsuki asked.  
  
“He died recently, you see. I have nothing to remember him by.”  
  
“I’m sorry to hear that.”  
  
To his surprise, Tsuki removed the feather necklace. “Here, it’s yours.”  
  
“You give this to me so freely?” the bird asked.  
  
“Yes. I may be a warlord, but I’m also a woman. I can’t imagine how painful it would be to lose a loved one like that, so I’m offering it as a condolence to you and as a token of peace.”  
  
To his utter amazement the Bird of Paradise bowed her wings towards Tsuki.  
  
A gesture of respect.  
  
“Let it be known that my people shall not hunt the members of this tribe of noble wolves.”  
  
Tsuki bowed back. “Thank you.”  
  
With the necklace tied around her neck, the Bird of Paradise took off. The flock followed her lead.  
  
A warrior patted her on the back. “Well done, Tsuki-chama! Very well done!”  
  
“I hope she appreciates it,” she said. She walked back into the den. “See, no harm done!”  
  
He pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad for that. You said ‘boyfriend’ just now, right?” he asked.  
  
She smiled. “Yep! I said the word ‘boyfriend’ out loud! You don’t mind, right, boyfriend?”  
  
“O-of course not.”  
  
“Oh~ Papa’s not going to like this either!” Ren said.  
  
“Nee-chama, why’d you give the bird-lady your necklace? You’ve had that since forever, right?” Hagi asked.  
  
“Yes, but I didn’t want to start a needless war over a trinket, but at the same time, part of me wishes I didn’t give her the necklace.”  
  
“Well, you’re in luck then, Nee-chama!”  
  
“What do you mean, Ryou?” Tsuki asked.  
  
“Kai’s got a whole stash of presents!” Ren finished.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
 “I’ve… made you a present for each Star Ceremony that’s passed since we met,” he said.  
  
“ _What_?” she demanded.  
  
“That necklace wasn’t bad craftsmanship for a ten-year-old, but I’ve really improved since then. I can make you another necklace if you want.”  
  
Tsuki nodded.  
  
“Kai! I want a necklace, too!” Ren said as she tugged at his tails. “Please~?”  
  
 He grinned. “Alright Ren. Hagi, I’ll make one for you as well.”  
  
“…Thanks. Kai, will you tell me what they all look like?” Hagi asked.  
  
“Of course I will.”


	5. For a Future with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinta wants to know Kai's plan to win Tsuki over and the men of the army want to meet their warlord's future husband.

  
“So, Aniki, what’s your next move going to be?” Shinta asked.  
  
“My next move?” he asked.  
  
“You know, to nab Tsuki-chan’s heart!”  
  
“Nothing. I’m just happy she’s openly calling me her boyfriend.”  
  
“Yeah, but how long will that happiness last? You’ve been planning for the future, haven’t you?”  
  
“Of course I have!”  
  
“So do something about it! You finally have your chance! Grab it or her, whichever works!”  
  
“It’s not like the old days, Shinta. Just nabbing a girl you’re interested in and taking her back to your den is frowned upon now,” he said.  “Besides, she’d beat me up.”  
  
Shinta paused. “Yeah…you’d be dead for sure if you did it that way. Besides, you probably wouldn’t have the guts to go through with something like that, you’re too nice.”  
  
“I’m not going to force her into this. I want her to be mine willingly.”  
  
“So?” Shinta asked.  
  
“So what?”  
  
“So how are you going to do that? If you wait for her to come to you, you’ll most likely be waiting for another eight years!”  
  
 “…True.”  
  
“Then there’s the other matter.”  
  
“What other matter?”  
  
“She’s sort of become a symbol to our tribe. Do you suppose symbols can get married or have families? You do want a family, don’t you, Aniki?”  
  
“We’d have to talk about that. I’d like to have pups with her, certainly, but she might not think she’s feminine enough for something like motherhood. I think she’d be fine at it though, she has the instinct when she’s around Kouga’s pups, but would she have to give up being a warlord if she was a mother? She wouldn’t like that…”  
  
“Aniki, you might not even get to have pups! What if she is obligated to stay chaste as a bride of the Moon God?”  
  
“If she was doing that for the God’s sake, I have a feeling she and I would have had an interesting conversation when she hit puberty and then we’d have an awkward moment that we’d try to never speak of again. Besides, Shinta, Ayame had two litters and she still has her sacred art. Why are we talking about this again?”  
  
“Because I want you to be happy, Aniki,” Shinta said. “I want her to make you happy.”  
  
 “Hey! Kai!-kun!” Tsuki called.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“I want you to meet my men, okay?” she said.  
  
“Your men?”  
  
“The men in our army, silly! They said they all want to meet you!”  
  
“Are you going to come with me?” he asked.  
  
“I can’t. I have to give lessons to the girls.”  
  
“Aniki, you want me to go with you?” Shinta asked.  
  
“Sure why not?”  
***  
When they arrived at the training grounds he was surrounded by huge men of varying tribal colors.  
  
“So you’re Kai, huh?” one asked. He had scars all over his face.”Who’s this kid?”  
  
“I’m Shinta I… help look after the pups of our tribe,” Shinta said shyly.  
  
“Shinta? Oh, you’re the boy who takes such good care of my little girl! Thanks a bunch!” said one of the men.  
  
“Listen kid, there’s no shame in a man wanting to look after the young ones if he’s good at it.” The man with the scars looked at him. “As for you, can you fight?”  
  
“Well enough,” he said.  
  
“Fine, but can you _win_?”  
  
“I can.”  
  
“We’d never allow our boss lady to wed a weakling, would we, boys? Listen you, you’re going to have to be strong enough to protect her when she needs you to, understand?”  
  
Shinta smirked. “He’s got plenty of scars to prove that he can do that.”  
  
“How many?”  
  
“Eight. One for each year I’ve known her. We use to get into a lot of tough scrapes as kids. I even followed her to hell and back,” he said.  
  
The men laughed.  
  
“Yet you still chased her?”  
  
 He smiled a little. “She’s a natural leader and she’s cute in her own way, you know?”  
  
“Yeah, at first we were weary of being lead by a girl pup, but she knows how to win wars and calm fights before they get out of control. Odd as it may seem, we’re loyal to her and _only_ her. We don’t want some punk-ass boy to play with her girlish heart to take over her role as our warlord and then leave her high and dry. Kouga would be the least of his worries.”  
  
“I have no interest in being our tribe’s main warlord. I only want to help her out.”  
  
“Would you be against a fight with me?” the one with the scars asked.  
  
“Not if it’s to prove myself,” he said.  
  
“Go for it, Aniki!” Shinta said.  
  
“You’re in for it kid!”  
  
The large man came after him with everything he had. So he was serious about testing him. He had to give it his all, too.  
  
“Not bad for a skinny kid,” the man said.  
  
“KUROMORI! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU LOT THINK YOU’RE DOING?”  
  
“Looks like you lucked out kid,” Kuromori said.  
  
“You weren’t picking on him, were you?” Tsuki demanded.  
  
“No Ma’m. Not anymore than we would any guy who wanted to date any of our sisters or daughters. He’s lean, but he’s got a good head and enough guts to defend your honor. We’ve got no problem with this kid if he’s who you chose. Hey, Kai, you’re welcome to train with us any time you want.”  
  
“Thank you,” he said. He turned to her. “Walk with me?”  
  
“Sure!” Tsuki said.  
  
“Oooo~ young love!” one of the men teased.  
  
“Shut the hell up! I’m still a girl, you morons!” Tsuki barked.


	6. Footprints in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai doesn't like the cold.

He hated the winter months. Food was scarce, everyone was crabby and to top it off, it was stupidly cold.

Everyone dressed in extra furs to protect themselves.

If it was up to him, he wouldn’t be out foraging in this stupid snow.

He was only going to accompany Tsuki.

Besides, it gave them an excuse to be close together, something he wanted desperately since becoming her boyfriend.

The only problem was she wouldn’t take it!

She kept running ahead, leaving him to follow in her sporadic footsteps.

“Come on, Kai-kun!” she called.

She wasn’t even wearing any extra layers.

“Why aren’t you cold?” he demanded.

“I _am_ cold.”

“Wha-?”

“I’m trying to discipline myself to withstand it.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his extra fur cloak.

“Seriously!  Do you want to freeze to death?”

“But warriors are supposed to be able to withstand all sorts of harsh weather conditions! Besides, if I got sick you’d take care of me, right?”

“Of course I would, but I don’t want you to get sick in the first place; I’m sure the army doesn’t, either.”

“Are you going to let go of me anytime soon?”

“Not a chance.”

“Do you like snow, Kai-kun?”

“Not really, it makes it harder to scrape by.”

“I think it’s pretty. I like the quiet it brings, but it does make it harder to find food. I wonder f Aniu will be mad if we come back empty handed?”

“I doubt he was expecting us to bring back much.”

“Do you think we should turn back?”

“Yeah. There’s nothing here but snow.” He removed the cloak.  “Here. You take this.”

“But won’t you be cold?”

“I’ll survive without it for a little while.”

He saw her sniff the air for a moment.

“What do you smell?”

“Deer!”

She grabbed his arm.

“Come on! We can catch it!”

Well, as it turned out, the foraging wasn’t a complete waste of time in the end. They did manage to catch the deer. He could have done without the cold he got afterwards, though.


	7. Congratulations, You Bastard!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai's getting married, too bad the girl never said anything to him.

 

The day started out normal enough. First, he walked Shinta to the daycare area where Ginta and Hakaku were waiting for him. Then, he stopped by to chat with some of the other guys while he went to go look for breakfast.

The young warriors were not usually ones to gossip, but apparently something _big_ had happened this morning.

He kept getting smacked on the back by the other young men.

“Kai, you lucky bastard!” said one.

“What?” he asked.

“You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“About the fight?”

“What fight?” he asked again.

“Between Leader and his little sis.”

“They fought?”

“Yep!”

“Over what?”

“You really can’t guess?”

“My brain doesn’t work when there’s no breakfast,” he said.

Once he got meat in his mouth, he was content to listen to this fight.

“Apparently, Leader’s little sis wants to get married this season, but Leader’s hesitant.”

He almost choked on his mouthful of meat.

 _Married_?

She wanted to get _married_?

Why the hell didn’t she tell him first?

He had to stay calm.

“She actually spoke to him?”

“More like shouted at him and then stormed out. He wanted to keep it under wraps, but Lady Ayame wouldn’t let him.”

“Why not?”

“Half the freaking clan already guessed it.”

“And the other half?” he asked.

“Hates your guts for being her choice. She’s weird, but she’s a desirable kind of weird because she’s just so _different_ from your typical female. Any normal girl wouldn’t have confronted a male relative like that, but she chewed him out but _good_.”

Lady Ayame probably did at one point during her courtship, albeit much more discreetly.

Still, he needed to try to handle this.

He swallowed breakfast. “I see you guys later!”

He found her wandering the territory by herself.  Had she asked to be alone?

“There you are!”

She looked to the side and didn’t say anything.

She was avoiding him.

She never avoided him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She put her hand to her face. “I screwed up!”

“How?”

“Everyone says I should wait and be chosen like the rest of the eligible maidens, but I don’t want to be fought for like the others. I want to fight for _my_ love like a warrior would!”

“First, you don’t need to win me! Second, that’s pushing things too far. Warlord or no, you can’t just do whatever you want. You have to consider my feelings, too. Do you want me to be seen as weak in front of the entire tribe?”

“I’m sorry… I still don’t know a lot about my own feelings; the girl ones, anyway,” she said softly. I just… I want to be by your side. You make me happy when I’m sad, you calm me down when I’m angry and you stop me before I can go and make a total idiot out of myself, but wanting you all for myself is selfish, isn’t it?”

“No, what’s selfish is trying to take matters into your own hands without consulting me and then scoffing at the traditions.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Warriors are supposed to prove to the ones their courting that they’re strong enough to protect them. Can’t you at least let me do that much? I know you’re strong and I’ve always admired that about you, but I need to- no, I want to prove myself to well, everyone. This isn’t a matter of simply winning your hand.  it’s more complicated than that. Do you understand?”

She stayed silent for a long while.

“… I wanted to fight for you to show the other girls I was serious. I know that If I was married to you, I’d be happy, happier than if I with anyone else. You’d let me be myself, I’m not sure another man would do that. That’s why… oh man… no wonder Aniu got so mad at me. I thought he’d understand!”

“He’s got the whole tribe to think about. If things change too fast, he’ll be blamed for it.”

 “Kai-kun, would _you_ be against fighting me in a match?”  
  
“No. Not if it’s that important to you. But please, try to be mindful of the female traditions, if only for our wedding. I don’t want others to be against our union from the start.”

“Okay. I’ll try, but only because you asked me so nicely.”

“I still can’t believe you were content to tell everyone you loved me, but not me.”

She looked to the side.

 “I do…. love you. More than anyone who isn’t my family.”

He kissed her on the forehead.

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

“It’s embarrassing to say such things out loud!”

She took his hand.

“But I guess I’ll get use to it.”

 He grinned. “Oh, you will.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I figure you’ll calm down once everyone else does.”

“I am calm!”

“No, you’re not.”

“Why are you so perceptive?”

“Because you’re oblivious. You remember the time I told you to hold on to my first kiss?”

“Right, so Miho wouldn’t get it-” she paused. “You meant it for real, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Miho would have held my first kiss over my head and yours. She knew I liked you even back then and it made her mad. So I figured I should just give my first kiss to you even if you didn’t understand, which you didn’t, at all, but it was kind of cute.”

“I’m so dense! I had no idea that was even going on back then!”

“You were seven years old and more interested in winning your war against the Moon God; a little love triangle logically would be of no concern; heck, you didn’t even ask me about boys until a few years ago. Your default thought process is that of a warrior, I understand that. I’m just worried that others won’t and try to fix things in their own way. I don’t want that, you’re my choice. You’ve always been my choice.”


	8. Blessings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai gets the blessings of those around him.

After he’d been chosen as the Warlord’s mate, his life was a flurry of meetings and questions.

The whole thing made him uncomfortable. Kouga was around him constantly, which did not help his nerves.

“Listen, Kai, you’re going to have to suffer through the same process I did when I courted Ayame,” Kouga said. “Which means the old man has to approve of you.”

 Kai paused. “But Tsuki isn’t tied to him by blood like Lady Ayame is.”

“I know. He wanted to see you anyway.”

The Elder was very old now, but still highly respected. He knew Tsuki loved “Grandpa” dearly and visited him often.

“You’re on your own for this one, kid,” Kouga said.

“Hello, Kai,” the Elder said gently. He did not get up to greet him.

“Hello, Elder,” he said.

“Is it true that you wish to court my little granddaughter?”

“Yes, Elder.”

“I was hoping you would be the one. She needs someone kind who can understand her. I’ve seen you be that person to her. Please continue to make her happy and allow her a marriage like that of her elder sisters.”

“I’ll do the best that I can. She can be a bit of a handful, but I love her. We’ll make it work.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be sure to attend the ceremony.”

Kai walked out of the cave.

“So he approved of you?” Kouga asked.

“Sounds like it. Leader, are you okay with this?”

“I don’t really have an opinion. She’s not a little kid anymore. She made that perfectly clear.”

Kai sighed. “If you hate me, just come out and say it.”

“I never said that! You’ll understand if you have kids one day just how difficult it is to watch them grow up. For me, Ginta and Hakaku, it’s like that. ”

 

Let’s see. The men in the army liked him well enough now. Lady Ayame whole-heartedly endorsed their union and Gitna and Hakaku had been very supportive as well, despite sharing Kouga’s sentiments.

They all said very similar things. That he was kind and he understood her.

When he went to pick up Tsuki from the army, they were in a panic.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Boss Lady hasn’t come back yet,” said one of the men.

Oh no.

“Could something have happened?” he prodded.

“Not likely, she was just patrolling.”

“On her own?”

“Yeah.”

“Where was she last seen?”

“Kuromori’s scouting the area right now.”

He ran. Up  in the distance, he saw the much larger wolf tracking something.

“Kuromori!” he called.

The older wolf looked him over. “Hey, you want to help me look for the Boss Lady?”

“Of course I do! Do you know anything?”

“Looks like she was taken by northerners.”

Kai felt his fur stand on end.

“We’re going after them, right?”

“Damn right we are. She’s tough, but she’s still a lady and the north men aren’t known for treating them kindly.”

It didn’t take them long to track the scent. It was one Kai remembered well.

“Tsume!” he called. “Come out right now!”

The large, black-furred wolf came out when called.

He looked surprised.

“You’re that… kid?” Tsume mused.

“I’m not a kid anymore! Return our Warlord right now or so help me, I will rip your face off!” he snapped.

“Calm down. You’ve got it wrong. I never ordered my men to kidnap her. They acted on their own. She’s right here with me. I was escorting her back”

“What’s all the yelling about, Lord Tsume? Oh, Hi Kai!”

Relief washed over him. He ran up and hugged her.

“Don’t ‘hi’ me! Are you alright?”

“Yeah, we just had a misunderstanding. Nothing happened.”

”Nothing?”

“Nothing. Well, aside from being dragged kicking and screaming over here. Once Lord Tsume found out what had happened he beat them up good and we talked politics, that’s all.”

“Why did they take you?”

“Um, something about needing ladies…” she said.

He felt his fur stand on end again.

He pulled her closer.

“Back off! She’s mine!”

“It’s not what you think, honestly!” Tsume said. “I’m indebted to the maiden for what happened all those years ago. I wanted to repay the favor on my own turf, but my men misunderstood me and though I wanted to kidnap the girl.”

“So I decided I would hear him out. Please calm down. I’m sorry if I worried you, Kai.”

Wait a second. She’d dropped the ‘kun’ that she always attached to his name.

“So you two are?”

“Engaged,” Tsuki finished.

“Can’t say I’m surprised. I remember how he challenged me on your behalf back then,” Tsume said.

Tsuki smiled. “He always gives his all. That’s a good quality.”

“So you’ll talk to Kouga on my behalf?” Tsume asked.

Tsuki nodded. “You might want to come yourself, though, and maybe bring a gift. Aniu is still a little mad at you for before. If we want to make peace, we have to understand each other. Besides, I think you’d make a good ally.”

“Thank you, maiden.”

 “Bye, Lord Tsume.”

“Um, goodbye, maiden.” Tsume replied.

Tsuki smiled. “I can’t believe use to be afraid of him. Kai, thank you for coming to get me.”

“Of course. I’ve gotten use to chasing after you, you know.”

“You were really cool back there, you know. Usually I hate being protected, but my pride wasn’t hurt at all by how you acted. It was actually kind of flattering.”

“Was it?”

“Yeah. I’m still a girl and sometimes I get scared by that kind of stuff, even though I know I can beat men senseless if I need to.”

“So you did think you were in danger.”

“After what happened when I was kid? Yeah I was worried. But Lord Tsume scolded them and apologized to me. He’s actually kind in his own way. I hope he and Aniu can move beyond the past.”

“I’ve… gotten everyone’s blessings.”

“Blessings?” she asked.

“You’re of a higher rank than I am. I needed to make sure the higher ups approved of our union before I could officially court you.”

“Is that what you meant by calling me ‘yours’?”

“Um, well….”

She grinned. “Or was that what you would have said regardless?”

He looked to the side.

 “I wonder if Aniu got wind of the fact I was taken? Kuromori, did you say anything to him?”

“No. We wanted to find you ourselves without involving the Leader just yet.”

“That’s for the better. I want Lord Tsume’s visit to be seen as an act of kindness and not an act of repentance. We’ll need a good excuse as to why I was gone, though and why I’ll come back with you.”

“Lover’s quarrel?”  Kuromori suggested.

“Would the others believe that at all?” Tsuki asked.

Whatever story they came up with, he didn’t care. He was just glad she was safe.


	9. Prospective Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai looks for a house.

Now that things were set in motion for their wedding, it was a good time to scope out where they might actually live.

Location was very important after all.

It had to be close to the tribe, but not so close that anyone could just barge in and everyone around them knew what they were doing at all hours.

Size was also something to consider.

Should it be a cozy place for two or a roomy place where they could raise a litter or two?

They’d have to start thinking about that sort of thing now, too.

If she were to become a mother, would she still want to be a warlord?

 Actually, picturing her commanding an army while pregnant seemed hilariously appropriate.

She wouldn’t let a thing like that slow her down if she really wanted both. After all, hadn’t Lady Ayame done something like that when she was carrying her own pups? She refused to give up her place as Kouga’s second in command, even when she was carrying his children. It would probably seem less controversial now.

Medium sized.

That would leave the choice open.

But where would a place like that even be?

Maybe he should ask around. Other warriors were getting married this season weren’t, they?

“Hey Kai, what are you doing?” Hakaku asked.

“Trying to figure out a good spot to call home,” he said.

“Well, truth is we’ve sort of been keeping our eye on a nice little spot,” Ginta said.

“Oh?”

 “And by ‘keeping our eye on it’ we mean planting a bunch of wolves there so nobody else thinks to take it before you looked at it,” Hakaku cut in.

 Ginta tugged on his arm. “Come with us and see it! I’m sure you’ll like it!”

Well, they weren’t kidding about the wolves. A small group of them were guarding the entrance to the cave.

The distance seemed good; a short run away from the main territory. If something happened it would be very easy to stay in touch, but the seclusion was nice, too.

The inside was also decently sized. Walking through it didn’t feel cramped or too spacious.

With a few touches from their current dwellings, this could feel like a home.

“This is just what I had in mind for us.”

“Really? That’s great!” Hakaku said.

They both seemed pleased.

“I’m sure she’ll love it since you two picked it out for her.”

“Aw, we were just lucky nobody claimed it when we found it. Do think that maybe when you two get settled we can see it?” Ginta asked.

“Of course, you two are her family after all. Come by whenever you like.”

“We’re not actually related,” Ginta corrected.

“Oh, I knew that, but she’s always referred to you as such around me. She always said she had three big brothers.”

“She still talks like that, huh?” Hakaku mused.

“Well she’s still our girl to us so…” Ginta continued.

 “Do you feel like I’m taking her from you?” he asked.

Hakaku shook his head. “Not really. She’s an adult now after all.”

Ginta sighed. “Still, it’s a little hard to accept. We were with her since the very beginning and now she’s old enough to wed and have children of her own.”

“You gonna have pups?” Hakaku asked.

The inevitable question.

“I’ll leave that up to her. I’d like to, but she might find her duty to be more important right now.”

“If you do, let us know. We’ll help you out like we helped Kouga and Ayame with their pups,” Ginta said.

“Thank you. We’ll keep that in mind.”

This space was certainly big enough for a few extra mouths.

Yes, it could be amazing.

And it was theirs.

“Can you say it’s been claimed?”

“Sure thing. We’ll tell Kouga to make sure nobody else claims it,” Hakaku said.

On his way back, he ran into Tsuki.

“Where have you been?” she asked with a grin. “I was looking all over for you!”

Should he tell her?

Nah, he wanted her to be surprised.

“Nowhere,” he said.

“You’re lying, Kai.”

How could she tell?

She laughed. “You always were bad at that!”

Well, that was true but…

“If you must know I was hunting for a den.”

“Oh! Smart! It’ll be nice to have our own place. Aniu’s is getting cramped now.  The runts are growing up so fast. I don’t fit in there as well as I used to anyway.”

The way she said that sounded almost nostalgic.

“Besides, if we have our own place, that means I get you all to myself, right?”

The blood rushed to his head so fast, it felt like steam would come out his ears.

What on earth was she thinking about?

It- it couldn’t have been _that,_ could it?

She laughed.

Oh right, this was her, the most uncouth of the female crop. No normal lady would have said such a thing out loud.

It was a curious thing to ponder, had her education been male-based female-based or a mix of the two?

Depending on her education, she either knew what she was talking about or she didn’t.

Why was he thinking about that?

Home, focus on the home.

Where would Shinta go?

Well, he was at that age where it was cooler to bond with your comrades than your big brother.

Still, it’d be different if he wasn’t around.

He’d surely be welcome in their new home, though.

“Were you thinking about something, Kai?”

“Just Shinta,” he said.

She became noticeably somber. “Oh. You going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. He supports this marriage.”

“I’m glad, I’d hate for him to hate me.”

“He wouldn’t hate you, Tsuki.”

“You never know. Aniu’s been really… distant towards me lately.”

“He’s just emotionally knotted up. It’s understandable.”

“I guess, he has always been like that. What was he expecting me to do, stay in the same cave forever? Still, I wish he could tell me he was happy for me.”

“I think he is. He’s implied as much when he hasn’t wanted to punch me in the face.”

She turned around and hugged him. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For telling me it wasn’t my fault. I may be favored by a god, but I can’t stop time.”

“I know. If you’d wanted to you would have stayed with the Moon God, right?”

“Right, but I wanted to grow up. I wanted to see if I’d become a real lady someday.”

“I think you did.”

She smiled at him.

“Did you find a place you liked?”

“I did, but Ginta and Hakaku were the ones who picked it out first. I think you’ll like it.”

“See this is why I’m glad I have three big brothers; when one is acting like an idiot, the other two always pull through for me, always. I can’t wait for the full moon to get here.”

The night of the full moon would be the night of their ceremony.

Truth be told, he couldn’t wait for it to get here, either.


	10. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally the full moon.

The full moon shone brightly above them.

Finally.

Kai paced around his den.

It was time.

“You nervous, Aniki?” Shinta asked.

“Not really. I just wish we could get on with this.”

“Well, there was that territory fight. Lady Ayame had a heart attack when she saw how scuffed up your bride was.”

So they were waiting for her to be presentable. That wasn’t all that surprising.  It wasn’t uncommon for her to be covered in mud, feathers or blood, even when they were children.

It was Ginta and Hakaku who gave him the okay to come out.

She was waiting for him, basking in the light of the moon.

Her hair combed, her fur smoothed, and a crown of white flowers around her head.

She looked like a bride.

The look of surprise on most of the warriors’ faces at the transformation was amusing to see.

Though he was frail, the Elder walked over to them and blessed their union.

The other Leaders from the various clans came as well. It was uncommon for the Leaders to make appearances unless of course the event was some occasion of note.

But there they were; perhaps to them she was still the Maiden of the Moon, a title she had long since discarded in favor of her preferred title as a Warlord.

A girl chosen by their Moon God was becoming someone else’s bride, his bride.

It was a strange event to be sure, but he was happy.

He was expecting to throw her off guard when they kissed as a couple, but she beat him to it.

He could have sworn he heard Hakaku saying something about how she took after Lady Ayame in that regard, but he was too caught up in the moment to care.


	11. Past and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the newlyweds reflect.

The festivities of the wedding were still buzzing in the air. They had pulled away from the crowd and settled on a hill.

“You’re comfy you, know that?” Tsuki said. She was resting in his lap and looking up at the stars. “Nights like this remind me of waiting. I use to watch the stars like this waiting for Aniu to come home.”

 Kai paused. “You’ve never told me about your past, have you?”

“Neither have you.  Let’s see, I remember always being around my brothers at first. Then Aniu became Leader and told me I was a girl and not a boy like I had always believed; that made things difficult. There was a lot of unrest in my clan at the time because he had dropped everything to go after Naraku, but never actually relinquished leadership. I almost got traded to the North Clan for food. Aniu took me to Anee-chan then and I learned to be a Lady. What about you?”

“Shinta and I were strays in the beginning. I remember having to grow up fast to take care of him, but then we found a home in the central clan. It was mostly made up of elders and other stray children because the warriors had gone off to fight the Demon-Eater.”

“I was a stray, too. Only Anee-chan and her family really seemed to care about me. Then I get favored by the God and suddenly everyone respects me.”

 He laughed and messed with her hair. “I didn’t become respected until I started hanging out with you; you always got me into trouble and that made me cool.”

“Yet you sill followed me.”

 “I don’t regret it. We had a lot of fun. With you around, I felt unstoppable.”

 She sighed happily. “Me too.”


	12. Dirty Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newlyweds figure their roles out.

 She was sitting very still, an unusual feat for her. She was hanging on his every breath.

“So, umm,” he began.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Did anybody explain any of this to you?”

“You know the ladies never talk about what happens after a wedding. It’s always only ever about the pair. Believe me; I tried to figure it out beforehand, but all I ever got was weird looks,” she said.

Of course she did.

So it really was up to him to explain.

“So what’s this all about, anyway?”

He still couldn’t get up the nerve to say it out loud so he whispered it into her ear.

“Eh? We’re going to do _what_ now?”

“That’s how it works.”

“ _How_?” she demanded.

He said it into her ear again.

“It sounds kind of weird, if you ask me. Are you _sure_ that’s how it works?”

“Positive.” he finished.

“Wait, the ladies never talk about this sort of thing, while the men make a game of it. I’m a little confused. Is it a good or bad thing?”

“It depends on who you’re with, I guess. If you didn’t know what kind of person you’d end up with as a mate, it seems unfair to say the whole mating process is good or bad as a whole. Listen, I won’t force you to do this.” 

“What about your pride as a man?”

“True, I’ll never be able to live it down with the other guys if they find out we skipped this step, but honestly, I can live with that.”

 “Hey, Kai.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll let you do the weird thing. If it’s you, I won’t mind.”

“Okay, but there’s one more thing you should know.”

“ _Really_?” she asked.

“Yep, so long as it doesn’t get out to the whole clan, nobody cares!”

“Well that’ll certainly make it less boring!”

 He paused. “Wait, you were worried about this not because it’s new and strange or could hurt, but because you were afraid of being _bored_?” he asked.

“Yeah. I figured if nobody talks about it, it must be pretty damn boring.”

He couldn’t help himself; he laughed

“What’s so funny?”

“You. I should have expected you’d say something like that. Maybe I was going about it all wrong.”

“Nah, I’m interested. But don’t go bragging about it, okay? The last thing I need is guys teasing me for letting my guard down.”

“I’m not going to bring it up.”

“You’re not?”

“No. You’re not a trophy to be claimed and everyone thinks I don’t have the guts to handle you anyway.”

She looked sad. “Am I really so out of control?”

He panicked.

“No. It’s just!”

“Now you need to calm down. I said I trust you, didn’t I? So what if you’re not manly to them? You’re manly to me. Besides, maybe I want to let you take charge sometimes. It’s hard having lives in my hands all the time. ”

“I’d imagine. You do a really good job though.”

“It’s because people still see me as the God’s vessel; they assume we’re protected; never mind that I do my very best to keep our men alive in battle because I care about them.”

Oh right, the Moon God.

“Do you think the God will be mad that we’re together?”

“Nah, he’s calmed down a lot since then. He’s not lonely anymore.”

“Do you still talk to the dead?”

“Sometimes.”

He put his arms around her. “Do you think they’ll call you back to the Land of Pain?”

“If they do, I’ll refuse. I do what I do out of respect, not obligation. I want to stay here with you and everyone else. Are you honestly worried about what everyone else will think?  I’ve never been the God’s pawn and you were my choice! If this pisses him off, then so be it! I don’t want anyone else!”

 _That_ sounded more like her.

It was kind of greedy, defiling a scared symbol.

 But she wasn’t just a symbol, she was many things. It was why she was such a character.

And right now, she was his wife.

***

“Hey Tsuki, do you want kids?”

She thought for a moment. “Not right away, but eventually I will. When that happens, I’ll let Kuromori take over as Warlord. I could still be the main tactician.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“I talked to all of the men about it. They have a right to know I might step down to start a family with you.  I like being our tribe’s Warlord, but I’d never risk a kid, especially _my_ kid.”

“I don’t know, I could see you charging into battle with a baby on your back.”

 She laughed. “We’ll see. I want to wait a few years, though. Things are still rough and I doubt a change in power would be appreciated. Still, it might be nice to have that pressure taken off me.”

“It’s not so much fun anymore, huh?”

“I was a kid when I got the title. Back then, I treated it like a game. I was good at that game, but my soldiers were real. As I’ve gotten older, the weight on my shoulders has gotten heavier. I’m not treated like a child anymore. I need to be accountable for my actions.”

She was unusually somber.

“Did something happen?”

“Not yet, I just have a _feeling_ something will. Something will happen that will shake things like the Demon-Eater did.”

 “I’ll stand by you no matter what. I trust your instincts.”

“I think I understand the pain my mother must have gone through.”

“Your mother?”

“Yeah, Aniu and I weren’t supposed to exist, but she wanted to be with our father.”

“You inherited more than your mother’s eyes. Part of her soul must rest in you, too.”

She leaned into his side. “You’re really good with words, you know that? You’d make a good council member.”

“That’s a little high reaching for someone like me, don’t you think?”

“No way. If a brat like me could grow up to be a Warlord, you could be on the council; you could speak for the people and you could be safe.” She covered her mouth with her hands. “Sorry, that probably sounded insulting, didn’t it?”

He grinned. “That’s my line, you know. I always worry about you when you go off with the men. Still, it’s kind of nice to know you want to keep _me_ safe.”


	13. Council Member

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai considers a position at the council.

“Hey, Kai, we need to talk.”

He never liked it when Kouga said those words.

“So, Kai, how would you feel about becoming a council member?”

“What? Did Tsuki talk you into it?”

Kouga looked confused. “Huh? No. The old man and I chatted about the possibility before he passed.”

“Oh, because she mentioned that she thought I’d be good at it.”

 Kouga nodded. “You would. You have a better idea of what goes through our little Warlord’s head then I do at this point and you know about the spiritual side of our culture. You’re also young. Incidentally, we need new blood. Some of those old guys won’t listen to my ideas. Even though his health had been declining for awhile, I still feel like a stand in for the Elder. They want me to do everything like he would. I can’t, it’s not my style.”

“Hmm, that would keep me busier than just hunting.”

“Come with me and listen in on it and then give me your answer.”

He suddenly felt very aware of his age. All of the men were older than he was. For the first time in awhile, he felt like a kid. Some of the council members agreed with Kouga about wanting to change things, others wanted them to stay the same as they always did. Now he understood why Kouga was having issues. This wasn’t like being the leader of just a band of warriors. Everyone from pups to elders had issues to bring to the table and often that conflicted with what someone else wanted.

Right now, they were arguing over the land and how much they should be spreading out. It was an interesting debate.

“I think I will stay here,” he said.


	14. Going To War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which peace is threatened.

On normal days, the band of warriors under the Warlord’s command patrolled the territory and trained with her. She was not usually needed in battle unless a scuffle got out of hand. She was often seen teaching the young girls how to fight or helping with the hunts.

But today…

Today after patrol she asked for Kouga’s help. Apparently a large pack from another clan had ambushed them and seriously wounded a handful of their men. They were threatening to overtake the territory.

This could get bad.

She was asking for volunteers. He quickly raised his hand, but Kouga shot him down. “Councilmen don’t enter battles.”

“Since when?” he demanded.

“Since _now_ ,” was the answer he got.

He wanted to protest further, but Kouga seemed to be in a bad mood.

“You two be careful. I want you both to come back in one piece, you understand me?” Lady Ayame said.

“Right, don’t worry Ayame; we’ll look out for each other,” Kouga said.

“Bye Kai! Bye Anee-chan! We’ll be back soon!”

  He looked back at Ayame. She did not look soothed at all by their words. “Lady Ayame?”

“I have a bad feeling about this. She almost never calls on Kouga to help her in a fight. I wonder if she needs the Goraishi?”

“If they do, that’ll certainly scare the enemy off.”

Waiting was the worst part. Kouga’s kids were bored of it as well.

“Hey! They’re back!” Ren said. “Papa!”

He knew something was wrong when Kouga came back with their Warlord slung over his shoulder.

“Tsu-chan! What on earth happened to you?” Ayame demanded.

“This guy the size of a bear nearly twisted my arm off, but it’s still attached, right?” Tsuki tried to grin. “He got my leg pretty badly, though. Oh well, I paid him back for it, at least.”

“Here, Leader, I’ll trade you!” he said as he handed off Ren, and Ryou.

When he got her back to the cave, she was quiet.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Of course I’m not okay! I’ve never been so humiliated in my entire life!” she snapped.

“Really? Because I can recall some pretty embarrassing stuff.”

His attempt to lighten the mood backfired badly.

“He… he lifted me like I was nothing. He twisted my arm and broke my leg. How can I call myself a Warlord after something like that?”

 He hugged her. “You stand up to him and face him. Even if you lose, you’ll still show you’re strong by not running away when he calls you out. Besides, if he’s stupid enough to come here, we’ve got the forces to defend this place. You were caught by surprise, that’s all, and you did get him back, right?”

“Yeah, I scarred his face and broke his arm. He’s also not going to want to breed anytime soon.”

“You, my dear, fight dirty.”

“No worse than anyone else,” she sighed. “We should send the ladies and pups somewhere else.  I’m not dragging them into this, unless some of them want to fight. Damn it, it still hurts.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. Do you know a way to heal wounded pride?”

“I can set your bones and I can find some medicine to dull your pain, but you have to tackle your pride. I tried that once, remember? You didn’t forgive me for a week.”

“Yeah, I remember. Hey, once the pain dulls, I want…. well never mind.”

“What?”

“I want to be with you…. I mean... like a couple…  Am I being too forward?”

He hugged her tighter. “No. Honestly, you’re hard to read when you’re not speaking your mind. And right now I feel the same. I don’t know how long we’ll actually be together. Either of us could die any day.”

“I’m not planning on dying and neither should you! If you die before me during a war, I won’t forgive you!”

“And here I thought you were going to be romantic and say ‘don’t die before me!’ or something.”

“You’re three years older than me! Are you saying you want me to die young?”

“No! You and I are going to both die when we’re old because I know you’ll pull through this! Now stay there while I get stuff to mend your little broken body. Geez!”

Well, she was laughing at least.

He was use to tending her wounds. He’d done it for years, but he hadn’t seen her confidence shaken this badly for a long time. He wished he could find the guy that did it and punch his fangs out. She was very quiet while she waited for the pain to dull. First the Elder died and now this. Actually, maybe it was because of the Elder’s death that this was happening. Maybe their territory seemed like it could be easily overtaken with the shift in leadership.

She didn’t actually get her request because she fell asleep shortly after taking the herbs he brought back. It was better to wait a few days, anyway, so she could recover, but he still didn’t leave her side until she assured him she was fine to be left alone.

The clan was in an uproar over what had happened. He and the other council members had  the tough task in keeping everyone calm.

Then, on the second day after the attack, they invaded.

“I have to go out there,” Tsuki said.

“You’re not fully recovered!”

“I just have to save my face and stand up to him. I’m sure Aniu or Kuromori will help me fight.”

“You could get killed.”

His words hung in the air.

“Hopefully I can compromise with them so I don’t have to be.”

He held her good hand. “I’m going out with you.”

“Normally I’d be against this, but truthfully, I want you to come. I kind of need the support. Can I lean on you?”

“Of course you can.”

There was a sizable band of men standing before them.

That guy in the front of the line with the red hair... wait a second!

“Kai?”the large man asked.

“Sen?” he echoed.

“Wait, you know him?” Tsuki asked.

 He nodded. “We grew up together in the Central clan. Oh, before I forget.” He punched Sen in the face.

“What was that for, Kai?” Sen demanded. “Is that how you greet an old comrade in this place?"

“No that was for breaking my wife’s leg.”

 Sen paused. “Wait, you’re _married_ now?”

 “I am. Our Warlord is my wife.”

“Wait, that’s a _lady_? I thought this tribe’s Warlord was a young boy!”

“I get that a lot,” Tsuki said with a sigh. “So are you going to invade us or not?”

“Um, well…” Sen began.

“Because we can still duke it out if that’s what you’re after. I’m not dead yet.”

“Well… I can’t…” Sen said.

“Why not?” Tsuki asked.

“You’re a lady. It goes against my upbringing to hurt a Lady and you’re Kai’s wife so… wait, that means yesterday that was you! You’re _strong,_ miss.”

 Tsuki grinned. “So are you. You’re the first opponent in a long time that gave me any trouble. So can you tell me why you wanted to invade us?”

“This territory is nice we could all live comfortably here so we decided to try to take it. But judging by the number of warriors you have behind you, that was a dumb idea. I had no idea it was this populated.”

Tsuki nodded. “I get you. How many members have you got with you?”

“Two hundred, maybe? We add a stragglers ever now and then.”

“Any Ladies or pups?”

“No, miss, just warriors.”

“Hmm. Aniu, what do you want to do?”

“If they can work with the group, they can stay here,” Kouga said. “But if they cause any discord, they’re not welcome on my grounds.”

“But if you do stay, you warriors will be under my orders. I understand that some of you might not be comfortable with that. Think it over and answer us in a few days.”

“Alright, miss. Later Kai, good to see you again!”

“Later Sen! Come on you, back to recovering. I’ll give you a piggyback.”

“Thank you! My leg is killing me right now!”

They both sighed with relief.

“I had no idea Sen was alive and trying to revive my old clan.”

 “I got mistaken for a boy _again_. I thought I was passed all that gender confusion stuff when I hit puberty.”

“You chose not to wear the lighter female armor, remember?  If you’re worried about it, why not grow your hair out?”

“Maybe a little. Grandpa always said I looked pretty when my hair was longer. Thanks for punching him, Kai; that made me feel better about getting my butt kicked.”

“Actually, I’m impressed you managed to do as much as you did. Sen was always strong, even as a kid. He used to be a bit of a bully, but I think the massacre of our clan must have mellowed him out. It’s nice to know he remembered the elders’ lessons about treating ladies well, though.”

“Do you think he’ll join us?”

“Hard to say. If he doesn’t, he shouldn’t bother us again.”

“Are you busy with the council today?”

“No. I made it clear my priority is taking care of you. Kouga was fine with that. I’m assuming you want to pick up where we left off?”

“Yeah. I feel better now. I think I should be healed by tomorrow.”

He was glad that they were always able to make it to tomorrow.


	15. The Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the new central clan comes to a decision.

 Kai met with Sen on the borders of their territory after he was done meeting with the council.

“So, have you and your men decided what you’re going to do?” he asked.

 Sen nodded. “We’re going to still remain our own clan, but I want to ally ourselves with yours.  The pride of my men won’t let them be ordered around by a girl half their size, but that doesn’t mean we have to duke it out every time we cross paths.”

“Alright then, if that’s your decision.”

Sen sat down. “I still can’t believe it. Who would have figured you’d be so lucky?”

“Not me. Sometimes I’d daydream about the possibilities, but I never thought I’d actually leave the central clan. It was comfortable for what it was.”

“Now you’re a big shot councilmember in the most respected pack.” Sen grinned. “I wonder if I should tell all of them how much of a wimp you were before?”

“I don’t think you’d get very far with that. So what if I was weak before? I’m strong enough to protect what’s important to me now. Shinta is, too.”

“He’s alive? What’s that kid doing now; he’s hit puberty now, right? What’s his skill set?”

“He looks after the pups.”

Sen looked puzzled. “What kind of clan is this? He’s a man, isn’t he? Why is a tiny woman leading men into battle and a strong young man looking after the young?”

“Say what you want, but I’m glad to have the choice. It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t. If we didn’t Shinta would be forced into a role he would hate.”

“I’ll admit some aren’t meant for the battlefield, but this whole setup just seems backwards to me and my men, like a strange dream.”


	16. The Long Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be a simple mission.

At first, he thought that the call from the northern mountains was a call for backup. The north leader was having trouble with some snow foxes. They sent the troops out to aide their brethren in their time of need. It was good politics, after all.

“Don’t worry, Kai! I’ll be back before you know it!”

His wife always said goodbye in such a cheerful manner, it was hard to stay sad.

The first few days were nothing out of the ordinary. The troops would probably be back soon, singing a song of victory soon.

Over the next few days, he was stuck debating the boundary between the Central Clan’s hunting ground and their own; he didn’t really notice the time pass. 

After a few more days with no word having been sent yet, he was starting to get worried.

The day after that, after the council had gotten out, he went to see Kouga. Their leader was pacing around and around.                                                    

“Hey, Kouga? Did you hear from the troops yet?”

“Yeah, we got word alright,” he said with a sigh.

That… didn’t sound good. Kouga did not look happy at all.

“What’s wrong?”

“Our troops are stuck in the northern mountains. There’s a snow storm that’s trapped them in a cave. They’ve been in there for a week and it doesn’t look like the weather is going to let up any time soon.”

“Is there any way to send help?”

“I already did. It’ll be awhile before they can get to them, if they can even do that much.”

He had to stay calm. She would be fine.

But days turned into weeks and weeks into months.

He was beginning to lose all hope of her ever returning.


	17. Now What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are made.

It was on the first day of spring that a loud commotion stirred the entire clan.

“I said let us in! Is this any way to treat your poor, starving army?”

It was a voice Kai knew all too well.

He couldn’t believe it at first.

“But you’re dead!” said the watch.

“Who’s dead?” Tsuki’s voice demanded strongly.

They had all come back from the northern mountains, all one hundred of them.  Her hand twisted, she was thin as a rail. But she was alive.

“Be we’d heard that…” the watch began.

He saw the fur on her back raise up.

“How dare you! There was no way in hell I wasn’t going give it my all to bring everyone home! Just who the hell do you think I am?”

He could tell she’d spent a little _too_ much time with the solders because her language was reverting to the ultra masculine. He’d gotten use to her addressing herself as a warrior might, but this was too much. Luckily, he knew what usually worked.

At that moment, he didn’t care who saw him smother her with affection. She was alive. She made it back home in one, if slightly mangled, piece. He nuzzled her until her tough exterior melted down.

“Hey, sorry if I worried you.”

“Worried doesn’t even begin to cover it, Tsuki. Now what happened to your hand?”

She suddenly stiffened and tried to hide it behind her back like a child might. “Um, I kinda, sorta, broke it while I was trying to dig us out.”

He sighed. Her leg had just healed before this mission and she’d already broken something else. “Is it going to heal properly?”

“I think so. It’ll just take awhile.”

“You’d think I’d be use to this by now.”

“It’s not like I meant to break it!”

“You. Home. Now.”

Some of the other warriors were snickering at the domestic scene.

“That goes for the rest of you too!” he snapped.

Tsuki looked back at her men. “You heard my husband. Normally he’s calm about this sort of thing. If I freaked him out this much, I’d imagine all your families are the same way or worse. Good work everyone, but get out of my sight.”

“Yes, Boss Lady.”

The walk home felt surreal.

“Hey, Kai? You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m stepping down.”

He wasn’t sure he heard that. “You’re what?”

“I’m stepping down from being the Warlord. It was a good run, but I don’t want to do it anymore. I’ll tell Aniu tomorrow and the rest of the men the next time we go drinking.”

“Is that really such a wise idea to tell them when they’re drunk?”

She shrugged. “Most of them will loosen up when they’re drunk. Besides, Kuromori will be with me. He’ll have my back on this.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“I’m sure some will ask me if you pressured me into stopping.”

“Probably. As you’ll recall, I’m still not well liked by some, but I also don’t think they’re wrong in thinking that. You are my wife, after all and most husbands have a lot more say in what their wife does.”

“That isn’t your style at all. If it was, I would have never married you. I respect your opinions enough so that I’ll at least consider them. You don’t need to resort to orders.”

“If I did, would you listen?”

“If I could see the logic in it, yes I would follow it. It’s why I didn’t fight you before when you all but dragged me back here. Hello, den! I missed you!”

He followed her inside. “So what job do you want to do instead?”

She shrugged again. “Hunt, track, teach, help Kuromori strategize, there’re plenty of roles I can do.”

“Is there any reason why you decided to step down?”

 She looked at the floor. “It was getting too stressful and I…”

Her hesitance drew his attention. “You what?”

“I want to start a family soon if that’s alright with you.”

It was not the suggestion itself, but the softer tone that caught him off guard.

“What made you decide that?”

“I don’t want to be responsible for everyone anymore, just me and my own. I want to know what that’s like and the more I look at the little kids I teach, the more I figure that’s something I want to pursue at some point.”

“Are you sure this is something you really want right now? You’ve thought about it?”

“I’ve been playing around with the idea for about a year and I decided that yes, it’s something that I want. You want them too, right?”

 “Yeah, I do, but I knew your position was an important one.”

“It still is, but it’ll be less dangerous now. Strategizing shouldn’t get me killed and it’s still a valuable position to hold.”

The word “killed” hung in the air again. She’d already brushed with death so many times.

He leaned against her side.

“I’ve missed you so, so much these past few months.”

“Sorry. That was a long battle and they needed me. I couldn’t back out even if I wanted to.”

“I know that, but I need you too. How did you all survive in that cave for so long?”

“A lot of jumping around like idiots and awkward man hugs.”

“I’m assuming you used Kuromori?”

“He’s my second in command and he’s been with me since I started as a kid. He’s told me before he thinks of me like a younger sister, so being hugged by him wasn’t anything you need to get worked up about. I like your hugs best anyway.”

“Do you now?”

“Of course.” She shivered.  “I’m still freezing.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I can fix that.”

 She grinned. “Please do, it’s been forever.”

It had been forever. Between the rising tension in the northern clan and his growing responsibilities as a representative, they barely had time for each other.  Now they could make up for lost time and he didn’t plan on wasting a second of it.

Others would probably look down on her resignation and new choice, some would probably say that it was the inevitable truth. She was a lady, after all and family was an important aspect of that role, but she had been successful watching out for her men as a warlord; why should motherhood be any different? How would the storytellers of their history like this strange twist? For what it was worth, he thought she’d made a great Warlord, but it would be nice to have his wife back. It would be nice to have a family.

“Feel better?”

“Much better. You obviously wanted to make sure I didn’t forget who it was I married. Don’t worry, I never forgot you, not for one second and I certainly won’t forget that welcome home.” She grinned. “Hmm, maybe I’ll disappear more often.”

He hugged her tightly. “Don’t you dare!”

She laughed. “Like I really would! I did not enjoy being with a bunch of smelly men whose sanity is slowly slipping. It’s why I never liked overnight missions. There was always that chance they’d forget themselves in the heat of panic. I got very dependent on Kuromori those last few days when it got colder he and Raikuri pretty much acted as my walking body shields.”

When he saw them next, he’d thank them.

“Hey, Kai, when I wake up in the morning, be sure to pinch me, okay?”

“How about a kiss instead? I’m worried that if I pinch you, you’ll punch me because you won’t remember asking me to do it.”

She curled close to him. “Whatever.  Just make sure I know I’m not stuck on that dumb mountain anymore and that you’re really real.”


	18. Casting a Long Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are still up in the air, but they'll get better, right?

They talked about the future for a long while. They thought of all the possible ways they could strive to have both worlds. He knew his wife didn’t truly want to give up being a warlord, she enjoyed the challenges of it, but it was becoming more and more of burden and if they wanted to have a family, she had to stop putting her body at risk.

It didn’t help that her men didn’t want her to step down.

In fact, they outright refused to serve under anyone else. It was her they pledged their lives to. It didn’t feel right to take those words back after taking such a risk to follow her in the first place.

Normally he liked that kind of loyalty, but in this instance, he wanted to demand his wife back.

If only…

No, no, he couldn’t do that. What was done had been done and all they could do now was move forward. Maybe something positive would come out of all this confusion.

The annual Competition was coming up. That would lift everyone’s’ spirits. Even though many tribes had merged into one after the Demon-Eater attack, the Competition still remained strong. All of the tribes that could would gather, usually at their territory and compete against one another in various events.

He wasn’t much of a competitor himself, but he loved to watch.

Specifically, he loved to watch her. Whether it was dancing in a way that defied expectations, or testing her skills against others, she was always interesting to watch. The others often made a game of it. She won a lot of bets for their tribe in the past.

This year she was excited because she could actually enter the fighting ring. He was… less than thrilled that she now qualified for the smallest adult fighting class.

“You’ll be careful, won’t you?” he asked.

“I’m always careful!” she protested.

Uh-huh. Yeah. He wasn’t going to let go of her hand until he had to.

She smiled. “I’ll be extra careful, okay? I don’t like it when you make that worried face. Besides, these fights are just for fun. I’ll probably get nothing more than a bruise or two.”

Before the fights, she made small talk with the other warlords from the different tribes. Nobody seemed to mind that he was there with her. Then again, many of the men had their wives with them. Hopefully they viewed his presence in the same way. Her presence among them was becoming less and less of an issue.

There was one young man with a scar over his eye that kept glancing at them. It made him uneasy.

“Hey, Tsuki, do you know that guy?” he asked softly.

Judging from the look of surprised recognition on her face, she did. She excused herself and ran ahead.

“Taro?” she asked.

The man looked to be about his age. When he saw her, he smirked. “Hey, looks like you finally stopped lying. You actually look like a woman. I came here because you owe me a rematch.”

Tsuki snorted. “I don’t owe you anything.”

Her refusal didn’t faze him. “If you have any pride as a warlord, you won’t turn down my request.”

She wasn’t backing down either. “Unless you’re of an equal or higher rank than me, I’m not fighting you.”

“I’m a Leader now,” he said.

“Since when? What tribe do you command?”

“The Eastern one.”

That left her silent for a bit.

“So you reclaimed it.”

Taro nodded. “After Kouga abandoned it, yeah, I took it back a few years ago.”

Tsuki snorted. “Alright, fine, I’ll fight you, but after this we’re done, got it? I’m not the same person I was back then.”

“Fine. See you in the ring, Tsukimaru.”

Kai had never heard her called _that_ before.

“Idiot,” she muttered. “I haven’t been called that name in years. It was just a cover name, anyway. First you call me a woman and then you refer to me by my full name, what the hell?”

“Hey, Tsuki, what was all that about?”

“We grew up together back in the Eastern clan. His papa was the Leader before Aniu was. He and I didn’t exactly get along, especially not after I was outed as a girl.”

There was a story there, he could tell, but he let it slide. It sounded like a painful one. He hugged her.

“Don’t lose to him.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she said with a grin. “He needs to stop seeing me as a kid who lucked out in our fights. I have as much of a grudge against him as he’s got for me. We need to get it out of our systems.”

He squeezed her hand.

“I’ll tell you the full story later, okay? It’s kind of scary and I don’t want to be reminded of it and I promise I’ll be careful.”

When she said it that time, he didn’t believe her.

Usually when she fought there was a kind of playfulness to it. It was a game, a test of strength. With this man though, she looked serious. The two of them sparred brutally. It was as if they actually meant to kill one another. They were pretty evenly matched, but in different ways. He was stronger than she was, but she was faster, and more experienced. She finally pinned him down.

“You’ve lost again, Taro.”

“Heh, you’ve gone soft, Tsukimaru. You’re not going to kill me so I don’t come back?”

“Not soft, just smarter. Besides, killing is against the rules.”

When he went to get her, she pushed his hand away. “I’m going to go wash up.”

“Okay.”

Taro approached him. “You her mate? Where are you from?”

“ The Central Clan.”

“Go figure. I’m surprised she ended up with someone at all let alone an outsider. You don’t _look_ like you could overpower her in a fight.”

“Let’s just say I balance her out and leave it at that.”

“I wanted to apologize to her, but I still ended up sounding like an ass. I was a really angry kid back then. I knew there was a possibility that my father would be overthrown as the pack leader, there’s always that chance, but when he just… ran away in the dark of night after Kouga took over and left me behind. I became bitter that he didn’t even have the guts to take me with him and he left me in the care of a boy who hated me for bullying his sibling. When I found out she was really a girl, all I could think about was getting back at her. Stupidly, I tried to do something I didn’t understand and she took out my goddamn eye for it.”

Kai paused. “What did you do?”

“I kissed her. I told her if she was obedient I’d spare her after I killed her brother and she could be my wife. I don’t think it was the kiss that bothered her so much as the threat on her brother’s life. I did get her back eventually though. I convinced the others to trade her, but even that didn’t work out because she ended up with the elder’s granddaughter of all people.”

“I think you and I are lucky we didn’t really cross paths as children.”

Taro looked him over. “I don’t know. I’m kind of curious what you do when you’re pushed. There must be something there if she respects you. I can tell she does.”

“I’m not going to fight you.”

“Don’t bully my mate!” Tsuki snapped. She got between them quickly. “Honestly! You’re a Leader now, Taro.”

“I wasn’t bulling him!” Taro protested. “I was just trying to talk to him.”

“Listen, Taro, I’m sorry about what I did to your eye,” Tsuki said.

Those words shocked both of them.

Taro looked to the side. “I’m sorry about… well a lot of things.”

“I’ve forgiven you, mostly.”

“Same here, mostly.”

“Take care of our old home, okay?”

“Why don’t you both come by and see it sometime?”

Tsuki hesitated, so he answered for her.

“Sure, we’ll come by.”

She looked surprised. “Kai...”

“You’d like to see your old home again, wouldn’t you? I want to see where you grew up!”

Tsuki nodded. “Yeah, next time we're in the area.”


	19. Cycle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When at first you don't succeed...

He was never the strongest of his kin back in the days of the central clan. He wasn’t a fan of their war games, either. They often made fun of him, but whenever he was knocked down, he got back up, for Shinta’s sake.

All he had wanted to do back then was protect his little brother, to ensure he survived. Now he could proudly say that he had done that job. Shinta had become a storing young-adult and, at the same time, Shinta was just as gentle as he was. It was why his brother was so good with the younger pups. He understood them and took good care of them.

Pups.

There was another part of life that liked to knock him down.

Maybe there was some truth to the old-wives –tale of the Bride of the Moon God being infertile. Maybe it was the God punishing them for standing up to him all those years ago. Maybe it was just him, but try as they might, they couldn’t conceive a litter.

Tsuki didn’t seem all that discouraged, though.

“If the tale is true, how can Aniu and I exist, hmm? My mother was chosen by the God and she had kids,” she said.

“That’s true, but… it should have happened by now, don’t you think?”

She was silent for a moment, thinking about how she should answer him.

“You can’t rush these things, Kai. Though, do you suppose I should ask him?”

Her eagerness to do so surprised him. Usually, if it had anything to do with the spiritual side of being the maiden, she avoided it, or had Ayame help her.

“Can you still do that? Talk to the God, I mean?”

“Yes, I just don’t like to. It’s easy to get lost in that place. He’s happier now that his lover has been returned with him, but the God’s domain is full of mostly bad memories for me.”

He laughed. “Something about that place was good?”

She smiled. “You came to get me, of course! That changed everything. Because of you, I didn’t lose hope in myself and I regained my courage. It’s easier for me to be brave when I have someone beside me who needs me to be.”

“What about now?”

Her smile dropped. “I don’t know. I’m still nervous about the whole thing. What if I go back to that place and can’t return?”

He put his arms around her. “Don’t talk to him then. Stay here with me.”

“But I want to know. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing, too?”

He gripped her tighter. “I would, but not if it meant losing you.”

“Kai, if I did go and the answer is no, what then?”

“I don’t think that will change anything between us.”

“It’d better not. I’ve gotten accustomed to it now, you know? It’s very comforting. I don’t want to create a rift because of this.”

He paused. “Accustomed to what, exactly?”

She looked away from him for a moment. “If I spell it out any further, you’ll get mad at me and call me vulgar.”

He laughed. “See, you can be discreet and get your point across at the same time.”

Comforting, huh? If nothing else, that was reassuring.

She leaned into him. “We could always look for orphans, you know.”

“Yeah, we could. If we can’t have our own, then I think we should consider adopting.”

“Hey, Kai? Promise you won’t let go of my hand.”

“I absolutely will not let go of your hand while you meditate. No matter how long I have to sit with you for.”

He kept his word. He did not move, he did not let go of her hand. He just waited in silence and listened to her steady breathing.

Then Tsuki opened her eyes, she had a big smile on her face. “You’re going to laugh.”

No, right now he was going to breathe a sigh of relief that she came back from that place intact.

“I wasn’t you or me that was the problem. It’s the souls still waiting to be reborn. They got into a big old brawl because so many couples are having kids again. That’s why we’ve had no luck. The cycles all messed up because of the fighting. While some people are getting full litters, others aren’t.”

“The warriors did that?”

“And the other brides got in on it too since we’re not killing off girls anymore.” How long do you think before it settles down?”

Tsuki shrugged. “Who knows? I told them to knock it off, though.”

“We’ll keep trying.”

“Of course we will. Now that I know it’s still possible. I want it to become a reality. Want to know something funny? All of my men agreed to act as my guards if I do carry a litter. I’ll be walking around surrounded by these big burly guys who promised to kill anything that comes near me. They don’t want to piss _you_ off.”

“I’d never actually…”

She looked him in the eyes. “But could you forgive them?”

“Not if you got hurt while they were supposed to be protecting you, no. If you got hurt because it was your own fault, that’s one thing. I mean I know you’re not fragile, but I still worry about you.”

She smiled again. “You’ve always been a worrywart and I love you for it.”

“How do you mean?”

“Despite what you may think, I don’t like making you sad or worried. I never have. So I’ve tried to tone it down, especially after we got married. I don’t know how successful I’ve really been with it, but I’m really, really trying!”

“Thank you. That makes me feel better. You have gotten much better since we’ve become a couple. I no longer have to worry about you randomly jumping off of cliffs or into fast moving rivers or any of the other stunts you pulled as a kid.”

“I wonder what our kid will be like?” Tsuki mused. “Which would you rather have, a boy or a girl?”


	20. Day of Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life and death go hand in hand.

Before the Moon God War, death was often met with sadness in their culture, but now, there also the hope for rebirth. Once at the end of each season they held a ceremony to commemorate and celebrate the dead and the lives they lived in hopes of helping to cleanse the lost souls so they could be reborn.  It was especially going to be hard this season after losing someone important like the Elder.

This ceremony was going to be an important one. It was still strange to see how the dead clung to her back like wings before ascending to the moon, but her song was steady. To her credit, Tsuki handled the task with the amount of dignity and respect it deserved. Well, except for one moment when Lady Ayame whispered something in her ears.

”Really?” she asked.

Ayame nodded and smiled.

“I told you it was a dirty rotten lie!” Tsuki exclaimed to some of the women in the crowd.

What was she going on about? What lie was she told?

“Men! We’re going into Plan A!” she said with a smile.

Well, something got them excited. There was a lot of cheering and congratulations from the warriors. Once the ceremony was over, he left for the river to reflect. She’d probably join him later after drinking. He always liked to sit by the river. He found the flow of the water calming.

“Congratulations, Kai,” said a voice from behind him.

It belonged to Miho, the grey-furred girl from the southern clan. She was still very pretty. Her girlish features had aged well with her, but on the inside, she was still stubborn and a little petty.

“On what, Miho?” he asked.

The smug smile was unmistakable “Oh, you poor thing! You missed this news too?”

 _Now_ what didn’t Tsuki tell him?

“Looks like you managed to conceive a littler. I overheard Lady Ayame earlier talking with some of the other ladies. Of course, Tsuki only just found out. And here I was hoping the old legend about Moon Brides was true.”

Kai paused. “Wait, _you_ put that thought into her head?”

“Of course I did. You should know I _never_ miss the chance to rile her up. It’s too amusing. I think she’s caught on to my little game by this point. I’m not mad at her anymore, though she did still my title and my boyfriend.”

“We never dated, so I was never your boyfriend,” Kai corrected. “Besides, aren’t you happy with the man you ended up with?”

“Of course I am, I love him very much, but I always wonder what it would have been like if it was me that went to the moon instead of her. If you had loved me instead of her.”

“You would have vanished. There’s no way _you_ would have started a war against the God. You can pick fights, but you can’t actually win them.”

Miho pouted. “Spoilsport. You never were interested in me, were you?”

“Not really. You always seemed so far above me in rank and you bossed me around whenever we did interact. Honestly, I found you annoying. I didn’t want to be rude to you because you were very respected back then. I feel I can be more honest with you now because we’re even in rank.”

“For someone who talks about rank, you married someone who outclassed you.”

“So did you, Miho. Funny how that worked out, isn’t it?”

“It wasn’t my fault I lost my status when the God chose her instead.”

“No it wasn’t, but would you have really wanted that? If you had been chosen, you wouldn’t have really lived. You wouldn’t have the life you do now.”

“I would have ascended and become something beyond what I was born. It’s romantic.”  

"Listen, I don’t have any feelings for you, I never did. Don’t mess with Tsuki’s head anymore, okay? This is important to us both.”

“Fine. I’ll lay off at least until the litter comes.”

“Thank you, Miho.”

So he was really going to be a father, huh? Finally.

Tsuki did in fact, join him later. “There you are! Kai! Kai you’ll never guess what happened!”

He sighed. “I already know. Miho told me. I wish you had told me, privately.”

“I did! I announced it to everyo-! Oh… privately…”

“That’s right. You said it in a way that sounded exactly like a battle strategy so I didn’t think anything of it and left to think.”

“Oh, well, I’m telling you now!”

“Honestly, first you don’t tell me about our engagement and now you didn’t tell me about having a litter. If there was a way for you to tell me you died, you’d probably forget to tell me that too.”

“I just found out tonight! I’m sorry! And I was really excited so I slipped into coded talk, but I wanted to tell you anyway!!”

“Privacy is a luxury I guess. Well, at least you tried this time.”

She smiled. “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing too important. What is plan A anyway?”

“Plan A is that I’m still Warlord, but my subordinates will do the fighting for me if the situation calls for it. Anybody who doesn’t respect the fact I’m pregnant is going to feel it. I’ll also always be back in the afternoons, even if I have to leave them hanging to do so. I’ve got two generals I can count on. So no more late night missions for me!”

“Good. I’ll come and get you when you come back. It might be easier if you listened in on some of our discussions. We can stop theorizing and ask you directly how we should handle some things.”

“Sure, though I’m not very good at talking all fancy or anything like that. I’ll still listen and offer as much as I can.”

“I’ll translate if need be. I know some of the elders are rather stuffy.”

“Thanks. Oh great, if I’m home more I’ll have to deal with Miho. Do you think if I hit her I can blame my hormones?”

“Don’t push your luck, Tsuki.”

“I wonder how many pups I’ll have?”

“I doesn’t matter to me, but you have to take care of yourself.”

"I understand.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise on my pride as a warlord that I will not harm myself or my baby.”

“In return, I promise to protect you.”

She laughed. “You always protect me.”

“Well, now it’s different, isn’t it?”


	21. Journey to the Eastern Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai gets to see the Eastern Clan for himself.

The journey to the Eastern Clan would take at least at least five days by foot.  
  
“We should plan to make it a six or seven day trip,” Kai said.  
  
“We can still make it in five,” Tsuki said.  
  
“I don’t want you running too hard. You’re showing now, remember? Lady Ayame said you’re supposed to take it easy. Trying to make the trip in the minimum time is doing the opposite.”  
  
“I know. I know.” She sighed. “My armor isn’t fitting right anymore. Anee-chan says I should remove it soon and replace it with the pregnancy furs.”  
  
“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for you if you just switched now?” he asked.  
  
“It’s just I don’t normally take my armor off unless it’s night time and we’re going to my old home…” she muttered.  
  
He shrugged. “You can do what you want, I won’t push you.”  
  
Before they left, she changed out of her armor.  
  
“It was getting really uncomfortable, okay?” she barked.  
  
He smiled. “Well then, I’m glad you’re more comfortable now.”  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
To his great relief, they walked at a decent pace. It was neither to rushed or too slow. There were just four of them and a few brown and white wolves in the party.  
  
“Are you excited to go home?”Hakaku asked.  
  
Home. Was it still home to her?  
  
“A little,” Tsuki said. “Part of me is worried what Taro has done with the place.”  
  
“That’s part of the reason why Kouga wanted us to tag along,” Ginta said. “He wants to make sure our old turf hasn’t gone to hell.”  
  
“What was the other part?” Kai asked Hakaku quietly.  
  
“Too keep an eye on her,” Hakaku said. No disrespect intended, Kai. Kouga’s just being Kouga you know?”  
  
“I know. None taken.  Hey Tsuki, you want to take a break?”  
  
She nodded. “My feet are starting to hurt.” She turned to the wolves. “Scout ahead and report back to me.”  
  
 “Do you want some water, Tsuki?” Ginta asked.  
  
“That’d be nice. Thanks, Ginta.”  
  
“How are you doing?” Kai asked.  
  
“You think I haven’t noticed I’m being coddled? It’s annoying, but I’d rather be comfortable if everyone is willing to put up with it.”  
  
“You’ll remember Lady Ayame was treated the same way both times she had litters,” he reminded her.  
  
“Aniu was worse.  At least you give me some freedom.”  
  
Kai paused. The wolves were in a panic. It was instinct by this point to shield her. Kai held her close as the wolves pushed the intruders back.  
  
“You idiots!” a familiar voice called.  
  
“I should have known,” Tsuki muttered. “Taro! What’s the big idea of having some of your men jump me?”  
  
Even though she was yelling, she did not venture far from his arms  
  
“I told them not to!” Taro said. “Your party is so small though, so they probably thought you weren’t a threat.”  
  
Tsuki pulled out of his embrace and crossed her arms. “I’m not so prideful as to bring my whole army every time I step out of my territory.”  
  
Taro looked her over. “Man, you’ve really let yourself go haven’t you, Tsukimaru?”  
  
“Are you calling me fat?” she demanded.  
  
“What else could you possibly be?” he said with a smirk.  
  
“You’re an idiot you know that?” she barked.  
  
Oh boy.  
  
“Tsuki, dear, calm yourself please,” Kai said as he held her hand.  
  
Tsuki snorted. “Yeah. I know, I know, he’s not worth it Besides, I’m too tired to fight right now.”  
  
Taro laughed. “Wow, I never thought you’d be whipped so badly by a warrior that you’d be that obedient Tsukimaru!”  
  
“What did you say?” Tsuki began.  
  
“My Lord husband, what is going on?” a new voice asked.  
  
Taro was notably startled by it.“An-Anzu. Oh jeez.”  
  
Taro’s mate Anzu was a tall, black-furred girl from a smaller northern clan. She smiled gently despite her intimidating blue eyes.  A small pup was clinging to her back. “Welcome oh honored guests.” She eyed Tsuki. “Oh my! You made this journey while carrying a litter? Come sit down immediately, my lady. When are you due?”  
  
Tsuki smiled a little. “Not for awhile, it’s why we came now while I can still travel. I wanted to see it again, I guess. I wanted Kai to see it.”  
  
Kai had been scared of this trip too. This territory was everything he did not know about her. Everything she shared with Ginta, Hakaku and Kouga. The river where she nearly died, the cliff where she would spend days waiting for Kouga to return, the den she grew up in.  
  
“You having a lot of memories?” Kai asked.  
  
“Yeah,” she said.  
  
“Good ones or bad ones?”  
  
“Both.” She took his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”  
  
“Hey, Tsuki, if you had the choice, would you go back here?”  
  
“No. At least, I wouldn’t go by myself. If I was to move anywhere, you’d have to come with me.”  
  
“But what if…”  
  
She leaned into him. “You’re worrying again, Kai. This place hasn’t really been my home in years, not since Anee-chan took me in, but in my heart, I’m still of the Eastern Clan.”  
  
“I know. It’s in my nature to worry. I’m really proud of you, you know that?”  
  
“How so?”  
  
“Taro’s been baiting you this whole time, but you haven’t bitten back.”  
  
“He has a kid now, and we’ll have our own soon. We can’t be petty over things anymore. It’ll set a bad example for them.”  
  
No more bickering occurred. Dinner in the Eastern Clan was pleasant.   
  
“Hey, Tsuki. Thanks for giving me a second chance.” Taro said.  
  
“You’re welcome. Thanks for inviting me back.”  
  
“What are you going to tell Kouga?”  
  
“The truth. You’re not a bad leader, Taro.”  
  
That caught him off guard. “I didn’t want to be my father he ruined it. Kouga did a better job in some respects,  to have so many of us killed… that’s a great burden for a leader to bear, but you have to admit his methods had flaws.”  
  
“I know they did. I’m putting my trust in you. It looks like you haven’t completely put this place through hell. It looks more or less the same as I remember.”  
  
“Listen, do you think we can ask for aide from time to time?”  
  
“You’ll have to take that up with Aniu, Taro.”  
  
“But will you give him the request, at least?”  
  
She shrugged. “Sure, why not? Hey, Kai, I’m going to go lie down with the wolves for a bit.”  
  
It was just the four men now sitting by the fire.  
  
“Hey, congratulations, Kai,” Taro said. “I was honestly surprised to see her carrying a litter. That never seemed like something she’d do.”  
  
“You could have just told her yourself without insulting her.”  
  
“Ah, well, she’s harder to talk to then you are, but I want to try to let go of the past, for my kid’s sake, you know?”  
  
“I get it, but try to be a bit more civil to her. She’s trying too.”


	22. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai takes his brother and wife home for a visit. Something unexpected happens on the way home.

“I’m trusting you to behave yourself while we’re here,” Kai said.  
  
“I’ll be good,” Tsuki said.  
  
Shinta smiled. “Don’t worry, Aniki, I’ll keep an eye on her.”  
  
“It’s not about being ‘good’, Tsuki. You look like you’re about to pop. I was actually referring to Shinta, but I guess it applies to both of you in a way,” he grinned at his brother. “Oh well, I’m counting on you, Shinta.”  
  
 Tsuki stomped her foot.“ I’m standing right here! Oh, I felt that kick! Even you’re telling your Mama to calm down. Fine!”  
  
Kai kept his eyes ever watchful. He tried not to seem hovering, but at this stage, it was hard. “Are you _sure_ you want to do this kind of a trip so close to when you’re due? We can still turn back.”  
  
“You saw my old home, I wanted to see yours,” she said as she continued to move forward.  
  
“Ah, it’s not as impressive as yours, though, Onee-sama,” Shinta said.  
  
“I don’t care. I want to see it.”  
  
“Wow! So that’s why you invited me to come with you? We haven’t been home in ages,” Shinta said, growing visibly excited.  
  
“Yeah, I thought it might be a nice surprise for you to see our old home.  Kai looked ahead. “Hey, Tsuki! That’s too far! Come back over here!”  
  
“But Kai, I can see it! I can see it!  It looks really nice!” Tsuki called back.  
  
 “I’ll show up that old ‘friend’ of yours. Hopefully he’ll have more sense than Taro and won’t call me fat.”  
  
 Kai sighed.“Honestly, all of this because he mistook you for a young man at first?”  
  
“So Sen took it over, huh? Has he changed much since we were kids, Aniki?”  
  
“He doesn’t seem to be a bully now, so I suppose he has.”  
  
“That’s good. Truth is… I never liked him.”  
  
 Sen looked very happy to see them. “Well, look who decided to drop by! She is HUGE. I guess she really is a woman after all!”

Tsuki clenched her fist. “I promise I’ll be kind when I maim him.”  
  
“No! Onee-sama! Don’t!” Shinta said as he tried to hold her back.  
  
“Tsuki… he’s an idiot, let it go,” Kai said.  
  
“Fine, but only because you’re right.”  
  
Sen shrugged off that conversation. “Hey! Guys! Look who it is! It’s Kai and Shinta!”  
  
It was strange to see his old friends again, few of them that still remained, anyway. He and Shinta were treated with respect. The stories about their adventures had traveled far indeed.  
  
 Despite the merriment, Kai still kept his eyes watchful. “Stay where I can see you, Tsuki.”  
  
“Fine.” She plopped herself right in front of him and leaned back. “Satisfied?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Good, because I’m going to take a nap.”  
  
“Shinta, why don’t you go look around?”  
  
“Sure, Aniki!”  
  
It was nice to catch up and see what had been done with the old den, but they wanted to try to be back to their own home before nightfall.  
  
“We can guide you part of the way, if you want, Kai,” Sen said.  
  
“Thanks, Sen,”  
  
About half a mile from their home, Tsuki stopped moving. “Oh man…”  
  
“What is it?” Kai asked.  
  
“The litter is coming! I need to move or lie down or something!” Tsuki snapped. She seemed unsure of exactly what to do. “Where’s Anee-chan when you need her? How far is it to home?”  
  
“Not far at all. Breath okay? You’re going to be fine,” Kai said, trying to keep his voice level.  
  
Tsuki took a deep breath. “I know. You’re with me, so I’ll be fine. This just… hurts… I wish I had some herbs to help with the pain.”  
  
“Aniki! What’s wrong?” Shinta cried fro up ahead.  
  
“She’s going into labor! Shinta, go get Ayame right now!”  
  
“Right!” Shinta said as he ran off.  
  
When Shinta returned, everyone close to them was present. Kouga, Ginta, Hakaku, but the most important person in the circle was Ayame.  
  
“I told you it was a bad idea to travel, Tsu-chan,” Ayame said gently. “You’re lucky this happened while you were so close to home. I doubt any of the central men would have been able to help you with this part.”  
  
“Fine, fine! You were right, okay? Anee-chan, just help!”  
  
“Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine,” Ayame’s tone turned cold. “The men will guard the birthing area since we’re out in the open like this.”  
  
It seemed like forever until Kai and the other men were called back by Ayame.  
  
Ayame smiled at him. “Congratulations! There are two healthy pups. A boy and a girl.”  
  
He grinned at Tsuki. “You did well. I knew you’d be fine.”  
  
“Anee-chan, which one came first?” Tsuki asked breathlessly.  
  
“The boy,” Ayame said.  
  
“I like Makoto  as a boy’s name,” Tsuki said. “You name the girl, Kai, couldn’t think of any girl names that I really liked.”  
  
“Let me try that out. Ma-ko-to. Sounds like a name that’s easy enough to yell out.”  
  
“You think he’s going to be rambunctious?”  
  
“If he takes after you, I need to be prepared. Girl names, huh? I know! I want to name her Yui.”

“Yui?”  
  
“When we were in the Moon God’s realm, she was the first of the brides to believe my story about wanting to help you. She was so bright and cheery. I want to honor her.”  
  
“Yeah, I like it. If she wants to be brave it fits, if she wants to be feminine, it fits. Heh, she’s already daddy’s little girl, isn’t she?”  
  
“I actually really wanted a girl. And they’re both so quiet.”  
  
“I still don’t know if I’ll be a good teacher for a gentle girl, but I’m going to try.”  
  
Ayame grinned.“Tsu-chan, no girl was harder to teach then you, and I managed to help you become a very gentle and noble lady, if I do say so myself. If you need any help, ask me. For all you know, she may want to learn from you. Just because she seems to be a gentle soul doesn’t mean you’ll have no common ground. We bonded by the dancing lessons, remember?”  
  
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks Anee-chan. I was so sure I’d get boys. What with how the reincarnation cycle works. I guess, she fought just as hard to be reborn.”  
  
“Come on, runt, let’s get you home,” Kouga said.  
  
Kai was surprised by how many of their members congratulated them on the successful birth of their litter. It all seemed so very genuine.  
  
“It’s because you’re a good guy, Aniki,” Shinta said. “You’re a friend to a lot of people and they know it. They’re all happy for you.”  
Their den finally seemed like a cozy place with the two new additions.  
  
This gentle child with his coloring, he had wished for her. “Thank you, oh honorable God, for allowing me this happiness.”


	23. Cautiously Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai takes his pups out to play with Kouga's.

Since it was a particularly nice day, Kai decided to gather his litter and take them outside while their mother did her daily rounds with the army. Makoto napped against his shoulder while Yui glanced at everything from atop his head. His daughter seemed to have an innate curiosity. She was always exploring something, but she was quick to run back to either him or Tsuki when things got too scary.  
  
Apparently Shinta had the same idea for an outing with Kouga’s gaggle of pups. When the two crossed paths, they grinned at one another. Their lives had changed in recent years, but they still found time for one another.  
  
“Hey, Aniki, how’s fatherhood treating you?” Shinta asked.  
  
“Good so far.” Kai glanced around. “Shinta, are you sure you can keep an eye on all five of them?”  
  
“Three out of five are usually good. It’s the eldest two I have to watch out for.”  
  
“For good reason it seems,” Kai remarked. “They bolted.”  
  
“Not again! Ren, Ryou, get back here!” Shinta called. “Hagi, you stay with the little ones okay?”  
  
“They never take me to play with them anymore,” Hagi muttered as she sat down with the toddlers.  
  
“Shinta, Shinta! Look what we found!” Ren exclaimed as she ran back to him. She pulled him by the arm. “Isn’t it cool?”  
  
“Do you think I can eat it?” Ryou asked. “I want to try and eat it.”  
  
The two of them were staring at a massive turtle. Shinta paused. There was something oddly familiar about that turtle…  
  
“It’s that same turtle!” Shinta cried.  
  
“What are you talking about Shinta?” Kai asked.  
  
“Aniki, Remember when you took me on that hunting lesson when I was little and I couldn’t catch a single thing?” Shinta said.  
  
“Yeah?” It was a long time ago, but he remembered most of it. He remembered it ending in utter failure.  
  
“Well, you had me go after a turtle and it bit me. That’s the same turtle. I recognize the shell!”  
  
“You’re kidding me! It’s still around after all this time?” Kai asked as he put his pups down and nudged them towards Hagi and the younger twins. “Go on, you can play with them.”  
  
Shinta smiled and edged closer to the turtle. “Hey old fellow, remember me? Sorry about before. Arugh, it bit me again!”  
  
“Aww, Mr. Turtle went back into his house,” Ren said. “Nice going, Shinta. Ah, Yui, be careful!”  
  
Kai’s daughter just sat patiently as the large turtle stuck its head out and examined her.  She cocked her head to the side, examining how it had poked its head out of the shell.  
  
“Should we go save her?” Ren asked.  
  
“No,” Kai said. “She knows I’m watching. Besides, she has to learn boundaries somehow.”  
  
“But I want to go save her! I want her to think I’m a cool big sis!” Ren said,  
  
“It’s not like your lacking siblings, Ren,” Kai remarked.  
  
Ren pouted. “Yeah, but I’m going to be the leader of a big clan someday. I need to gain followers. It’s best to start now, don’t you think?”  
  
Kai sighed. “Ren, my pups are just now old enough to move around outside, there’s no need to rush things. Besides, she’s fine. She’s being nice to Mr. Turtle.”  
  
“Who says I wasn’t?” Ren demanded. Her arms were crossed and her eyes narrowed.  
  
That girl may have looked like Ayame in nearly every regard, but the eyes were Kouga’s. She had her fair share of his personality, too.  
  
“Ren, let’s play another game, we don’t need to worry about the dumb turtle,” Ryou said as he tugged at his sister.  
  
“Ren, you can’t force people to follow you, you have to show them you’re worthy to follow.”  
  
“How do I do that?” she asked.  
  
“Well, have you asked your mother?”  
  
“No way! What does Momma know about leading?”  
  
“A lot. She led the clan before your father married her. It was her idea to combine the survivors of all the surrounding smaller clans into one big one.”  
  
“She really did that? Did you see it?”  
  
“No, but Tsuki was there during that time. She really looks up to your Momma even now.”  
  
“But if I’m not strong, how can I prove that I’m a good leader?” Ren asked. “Papa and the men always rely on strength, Nee-chama, too.”  
  
“Prove that you care about your people. Behind all their posturing, everyone really cares about the well being of the clan.”  
  
“Pfft. That’s what the council is for!” Ren muttered.  
  
“True, that’s why we have councils, a leader can’t keep track of ever member unless the clan is really small. Ren, you can be strong, but you have to learn how to be kind, too.”  
  
“I am kind!”  
  
“Yes, you are, most of the time, but right now you’re not being very kind by excluding your sister in your games. It’s also not kind to teach my daughter she can’t handle things on her own.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Do you really understand or are you just saying ‘oh’ to get me to stop talking?” Kai asked.  
  
“I hear you, okay? I just… I want to be great like Momma and Papa. Like you and Nee-chama. Our people won’t ever forget your stories, there’s no way! But what about someone like me? How can I be that great when I’m so small?”  
  
So that was it. Would his children also have to stand in the shadows of the legends and tall tales of their exploits?  
  
“You really want to know what made us great?” he asked.  
  
Ren’s ears perked up. “Yeah, yeah, what’s the secret?”  
  
“Love,” he said.  
  
“Love?” she echoed in disgust.”Yuck!”  
  
Kai nodded. “If it weren’t for love we wouldn’t have entered the Moon God’s realm.”  
  
“Is love really that strong?”  
  
“It can be. It was for all of us. So why aren’t you playing with Hagi anymore?”  
  
“She’s gotten kind of scary.”  
  
“How so?”  
  
“She’ll talk to an imaginary friend and see things. She can’t see things! She’s never been able to. Ryou and I are both really worried, but...”  
  
“If Hagi were to disappear, what would you do?” Kai asked.  
  
Ren’s fur stood up. “Don’t even joke about that!”  
  
“I’m not. You can’t ignore problems Ren. You may not want to face them, but if you don’t they will never get resolved. A leader has to learn that.”  
  
Ren looked down. “If you’re so smart, how come you just follow Nee-chama around? Couldn’t you have been a leader, Kai?”  
  
Yui came back from examining the turtle. She settled down beside her brother.  
  
 “I’m happy where I am right now. The only lives in my hands are the ones I hold dearest to me.”  
  
  “You’re weird,” Ren said as she dashed off.


End file.
